Football Upends Penn on Homecoming, 31-17

 











Bronx, N.Y. – Despite rushing for 225 yards over the first two games of the year, there was one thing that Fordham junior running back hadn't done too much of this season, find the end zone. That changed today as Edmonds scored all four Ram touchdowns, three on the ground and one through the air, to lead Fordham to a 31-17 win over Penn on Jack Coffey Field on Homecoming Weekend.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 2-1 on the season while Penn falls to 0-2.
 
The four touchdowns brings Edmonds' career total to 53 as he surpasses Kirwin Watson's school record of 49, set from 2000-03. The three rushing scores gives Edmonds 47 for his career, one shy of Watson's school record of 48. He finished with 152 rushing yards on 29 carries in the game.
 
The defense also played a major role in today's win, forcing three turnovers (two fumble recoveries and one interception) and coming up with big stops in key situations. The unit was paced by senior linebacker George Dawson, who led the Rams with 12 total tackles, eight solo, including one for loss and he had an interception and two pass breakups, and freshman linebacker Max Roberts, who finished with ten stops, five solo, including three sacks and he forced two fumbles.
 

The defense limited Penn senior quarterback Alek Torgersen to completing 17 of 31 passes for just 125 yards, sacking him five times.
 
It appeared that the 7,816 fans in attendance would be in for a high-scoring game today as both teams scored on their first possession, the Rams first on a 22-yard Edmonds pass from Kevin Anderson 3:44 into the game. The Quakers answered with a 22-yard scoring run of their own just under four minutes later.
 
Fordham made it a 14-7 game on the ensuing possession as Edmonds took it 24-yards to pay dirt with 3:23 left in the first.
 
The defense then came up with its first turnover of the game when Dawson picked off a Torgersen pass on the Fordham 49 and returned it to the Penn eleven. The Fordham offense couldn't put it in the end zone and settled on a 22-yard Makay Redd field goal seven seconds into the second.
 
Two plays later, Roberts came around the corner to knock the ball out of Torgersen's hand on the Penn 36 which was scooped up by Brett Lambert and returned to the Penn 23. Six plays later Edmonds burst through the line from the one to put Fordham up 24-7 with 11:45 remaining in the half.
 
On the third play of the ensuing Penn possession, Roberts again got to Torgersen in the backfield and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Noah Fitzgerald on the Penn 27. But the Rams couldn't capitalize on the miscue as quarterback Kevin Anderson was intercepted in the end zone on Fordham's first play from scrimmage.
 
Penn did take advantage of the Fordham turnover, moving to the Fordham five where Jimmy Gammill booted a 23-yard field goal with 3:13 on the clock to make it a 24-10 game.
 
The Rams had one last chance to add to their lead before the half. A 21-yard Redd field goal attempt was blocked as time expired but the Quakers were whistled for being offside, giving the Rams one last untimed play from the Penn two. Fordham elected to go for the touchdown but Edmonds was stopped just short of the goal line.
 
Midway through the third, Penn scored to make it a seven-point game, 24-17, and the Quakers were driving for a game-tying score in the fourth quarter but the Fordham defense came up big on fourth and 15 from the Fordham 33. Torgersen threw a lateral to running back Tre Solomon who then threw back across the field to Torgersen but Caleb Ham was there to break up the trick play, taking Torgersen down on the Fordham 27.
 
A 57-yard bomb from Anderson to Austin Longi three plays later gave the Rams a first down on the Penn five and Edmonds covered the final five yards on two carries to put Fordham up 31-17 with 5:31 left.
 
The Quakers moved the ball to midfield on the ensuing possession but a fourth-and-nine pass from Torgersen to Justin Watson was incomplete and the Rams ran out the clock.
 
Anderson competed 18 of 33 passes for 231 yards and one score with Longi hauling in four balls for 92 yards, Edmonds four for 49 and Jorge Solano four for 43 yards.
 
The Rams return to action next Saturday, October 1, as they travel to West Long Branch, N.J., to face Monmouth University on Kessler Field at Monmouth Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
 
Notes
Both coaching staffs wore special Coach To Cure MD program patches to support the Coach to Cure MD program to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne). To date the efforts have raised more than $1.2 million to battle the disease.
 

The Rams hosted Kevin Frank, who is stricken with Duchenne, and his parents at the game. Kevin joined the Rams at midfield for the coin toss.
 
Edmonds' 152 rushing yards brings his career total to 3,863, second best on the Fordham career list, 754 yards behind Watson's school record.
 
Edmonds now has a school-record 19 100-yard rushing games in his career.
 
Anderson's 231 passing yards brings his career total to 3,941, moving him into seventh place on the Fordham career list ahead of Gary Brennan, while his touchdown pass brings his career total to 38, fourth best on the Fordham career list.
 
Senior linebacker George Dawson and senior punter Joe Pavlik have appeared in every game at Fordham since arriving as freshmen in 2013 (43 games). They are looking to become the Fordham career leaders in games played. The currently record is 47, set by Javarus Dudley (2000-03) and matched by Joe Sullivan (2011-14).
 
Pavlik got off a season-long 63-yard punt.
 
Fordham improves to 25-2 at home since 2012.
 
The Rams are now 26-16-1 in Homecoming game son Jack Coffey Field and have won their past five Homecoming contests.
Fordham is now 5-3 all-time against Penn, winning the past three meetings.
The Rams have also won the past nine matchups against Ivy League teams.